The Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark announced Thursday that the conference is pausing conversations about possibly inviting UConn to the league.
“As commissioner, it is my responsibility to explore a variety of value-creating opportunities on behalf of the Big 12,” Yormark said in a statement. “Following detailed discussions with my conference colleagues alongside UConn leadership, we have jointly decided to pause our conversations at this time. We will instead focus our attention and resources to ushering in this new era of college athletics.”
The Big 12’s rekindled conversations with UConn of the Big East became public two weeks ago, after school officials pitched the Huskies to conference athletic directors at a meeting in Dallas.
Big 12 university presidents and chancellors heard from the conference’s media consultants last week on the value of adding the Huskies. UConn has won the last two men’s basketball national titles and has a powerhouse women’s basketball program, but its independent football program has floundered for more than a decade.